Prometheus 6

It's still damn near always a Black man on the wrong end of a fussilade of bullets. And in this specific case, Undercover Mike still emptied his weapon, reloaded and emptied it again, all without being sure he fired at all.

Yes, There’s the Trial, but There Are Also Broader Statistics
By CLYDE HABERMAN

Inevitably, emotions ran high this week with the start of the trial in the 50-shot police killing of Sean Bell. That much was obvious in protests outside the courthouse in Queens. It was obvious in angry comments posted on blogs.

For some New Yorkers, the entire Police Department stands in the dock with the three indicted detectives, branded as out of control.

Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to step back from the Bell case for a dispassionate look at some numbers. They show that notwithstanding disasters like the shooting of unarmed men like Mr. Bell or Amadou Diallo, New York City police officers as a group are more restrained than ever in drawing their guns.